January 21, 2021

Saint Paul, MN—Today, the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota (CUB) testified to the Minnesota House of Representatives Climate and Energy Committee in support of a bill that would require the state’s electric utilities to supply 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040.

“The 100% carbon-free energy bill puts Minnesota’s electricity system on the rapid transition to clean electricity that is necessary to act on climate change, and one that CUB believes is both achievable and in the best interests of Minnesota consumers,” said Annie Levenson-Falk, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board. “Importantly, the bill includes protections so that, if it turns out to be too expensive to meet the milestones in this bill, or if it would compromise the quality of service that Minnesotans rightly expect from their electricity providers, those standards would not be enforced.”

The bill, authored by House Climate and Energy committee chair Jamie Long with the support of Governor Walz and his administration, makes sure that Minnesota’s electricity system is decarbonizing at the pace that’s required. The electricity sector can and must decarbonize quickly, and we must use clean electricity for heating, transportation, and other things that are today powered by fossil fuels. Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power have already committed to 100% clean energy by 2050, and this bill would fast-track those standards and while allowing flexibility for the utilities and the Public Utilities Commission.